My invention relates to devices for protecting the mouth and inner cheeks of a person wearing braces on their teeth while undergoing orthodontal or orthognathic procedures.
One of the most disagreeable and painful aspects of orthodontal procedures and orthognathic surgery is the often painful and prolonged irritation of the inner surface of the mouth and cheeks caused by contact with the archwires, archbars, brackets and other metallic elements collectively called braces affixed to the teeth.
For many years the most widely used material for protecting the mouth and cheeks of persons wearing braces on their teeth has been a wax which is commonly supplied in the form of a pliable elongated cylinder or tube. Approximately one inch lengths of this wax are inserted into the mouth just above or below the braces to form a "cushion" intended to prevent the archwires and other metallic elements of the braces from coming into irritating contact with the adjacent surfaces of the mouth and cheeks.
However, as a person who recently underwent orthognathic surgery, I found that the conventional wax given me provided almost no relief from the constant irritation to my mouth and cheeks caused by the metallic elements of my braces. Nothing suggested by my doctors seemed to bring any relief until I began experimenting with strips of sponge-like material which I formed to fit into my mouth and lie between the braces and the area where the gum joins the inner surface of the cheek.
I found that by proper sizing and shaping of the strip, it would stay quite firmly in place for extended periods of time and act to prevent the irritating contact between elements of my braces and the inner surfaces of my mouth and cheeks. For best results, I found it desirable to use one protective strip over the front teeth and a separate strip on each side to protect the right and left cheeks.
My first protective strips were made of cellulose sponge which worked but had a tendency to deteriorate under long term usage. I have found the best material to have a generally uniform cell diameter of from 1/64th to 1/32nd of an inch. The strip may be either open or closed cell and the material may be cellulose, polystyrene, polyurethane or any one of a number of related thermoplastic foamed resins. For cosmetic purposes, the strips should be flesh colored.